Chapter 401 Sea Rhythm Festival and Lunar Tide Banquet

Xia Nan chose the Three-Legged Sea Dog as his temporary residence in Barracuda Bay partly because the tavern's food was genuinely good—the seafood-style cream of mushroom soup suited his tastes perfectly.

More importantly, he hoped to glean some information about "Algae Scale" Dodd from the tavern owner, Hera, to help him find the key to the [Dream Weaving Corridor].

At present, the sudden incident at the Golden Cod casino had been perfectly resolved following Alton and Xia Nan's encounter.

Knowing the halfling hadn't come to Barracuda Bay to cause trouble for her casino, but purely out of coincidence and personal interest, Hera breathed a sigh of relief and began sharing her intelligence on "Algae Scale" with Xia Nan.

"Dodd started out as an adventurer here in Barracuda Bay. You probably know that much," she said.

Xia Nan gave a slight nod. He already had a general understanding of "Algae Scale" through the information provided by the Association.

He knew the man hadn't started out as a heinous pirate; he had only been put on the wanted list after plundering a royal cargo ship.

"I've heard a few rumors," Hera continued. "I can't guarantee their accuracy, so just treat them as an interesting story."

"According to an insider, before Dodd even attacked that cargo ship, he already knew it officially belonged to the Servia Kingdom. It wasn't some accidental blunder like some people claim."

"He specifically targeted that ship."

"To some extent, the fact that Dodd finished transferring his wealth and fleet supplies months in advance serves as proof of this."

Hera took a swig of her iced ale. As her seaweed-green hair swayed, a crystal-clear drop of liquor trickled down from the corner of her mouth, sliding over her slender neck and delicate collarbone before disappearing into the depths of her shirt.

After the trip to the casino, her attitude toward Xia Nan had silently transformed.

She had moved past her initial unfamiliarity and probing, gradually coming to view him as someone with whom she could deepen a cooperative relationship.

"As for Dodd's specific fighting style and the combat technique information he's revealed in the past, I'll compile it all into a written document and have someone deliver it to your room the night after next," she said.

"I appreciate the trouble," Xia Nan replied with genuine sincerity.

In his search for the key to the [Dream Weaving Corridor], these details would offer a massive advantage if he ended up having to fight "Algae Scale." At the very least, he wouldn't go into battle without even knowing whether his opponent was a close-quarters Warrior or a long-range Spellcaster.

"However, you'd best treat this intel purely as a reference. Don't rely on it too much," Hera warned, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "After all, this information was gathered many years ago, back when he was still working as an adventurer."

"So much time has passed since then. There's no telling what changes he's undergone, so the information might be quite outdated."

Catching the underlying implication in her words, Xia Nan subconsciously furrowed his brows.

"Are you saying... he's had very little contact with the outside world in recent years?" Xia Nan asked.

"Dodd has a rather cautious and conservative personality," Hera replied, nodding. "In fact, ever since he attacked that cargo ship and was placed on the kingdom's wanted list, he's barely shown his face."

"He takes his pirate fleet and hides deep within the archipelago. They only come out occasionally for a heist, and they never leave captives. Survivors are incredibly rare."

"Aside from the members of their own pirate fleet, no one knows the location of Dodd's main base."

'That's going to be a problem,' Xia Nan thought.

The [Dream Weaving Corridor] provided an absurd function that raised combat technique proficiency, placing its secrecy level second only to his identity as a transmigrator and his Attribute Panel.

Unless absolutely necessary, he would never reveal the existence of the [Dream Weaving Corridor] to anyone.

Because of this, Xia Nan had tried his best to steer his intelligence gathering toward "Algae Scale" Dodd, and at most brought up "Lyle Morton." He never once mentioned the strange, silvery-white metal object that the Morton Family descendant had left behind in his notes.

If the key to the [Dream Weaving Corridor] really was in Dodd's hands, the pirate wouldn't have the means to activate the device without the main body. He most likely didn't even know what the item did and was probably just keeping it in a warehouse as a collectible.

Under these circumstances, his only option was to feign civility and obtain the key without the other party noticing. Otherwise, directly exposing his goal would only arouse Dodd's suspicion and increase the chances of the [Dream Weaving Corridor]'s information being leaked.

Furthermore, it would be best if they could interact face-to-face. For every intermediary placed between them, the likelihood of unexpected variables increased.

However, all of these plans would amount to empty talk if he couldn't even find out where "Algae Scale" Dodd actually was.

No matter how well-prepared he was, he couldn't push forward if he couldn't even see the man.

"However—it's not entirely impossible to find him," Hera suddenly said.

She paused for a brief moment, a hint of slyness flashing through her emerald eyes before she spoke again.

She stared straight at Xia Nan across the table, seeming to want to catch any change in his expression.

She bore no ill will; this was simply a minor tug-of-war tactic used to seize the initiative during a negotiation.

Unfortunately for her, Xia Nan rarely revealed his inner emotions in front of strangers, and his continuously strengthening physique had only enhanced his control over his facial muscles.

Even though his heart did skip a beat at her sudden shift in topic, his face remained as calm and cold as ever, showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.

This left Hera, who had vainly hoped to see a different side to this young adventurer, feeling a bit disappointed.

She curled her lips in a rather bored manner and continued, "Most of the time, Dodd and his pirate fleet hide in their lair. Unless an outsider has the exact coordinates of their main base, it's practically impossible to find them deep in the archipelago."

"But that doesn't mean Dodd stays in his fortress forever, never leaving for the rest of his life."

Gazing into those pitch-black eyes across the table, Hera parted her lips and slowly uttered three words: "Sea Rhythm Festival."

'The Sea Rhythm Festival?' Xia Nan repeated the name in his mind.

Of course, he had heard of it.

Back when he was still preparing for this long journey and hadn't yet departed from Rivervale Town, he had done his research on this triennial event, which was arguably the most important regional festival in the Southern Archipelagos.

The festival originated in ancient times. The Southern Archipelagos had birthed a Tidechant Saint who could communicate with the ocean through soul singing. By using her songs to calm storms, guide schools of fish, and heal injuries, she established immense prestige in the surrounding waters, becoming virtually a mortal god and a saint of the seas.

Perhaps humanity had plundered too many natural resources through this saint, or perhaps the power of faith she gradually accumulated over time had drawn the dread of certain entities.

A massive, terrifying catastrophe descended from the heavens. Houses were obliterated by surging waves, islands were swallowed by the furious sea, and the people of the Southern Archipelagos suffered unimaginable hardship.

Knowing she was the key to resolving the crisis, the Tidechant Saint resolutely sacrificed her own life to quell the divine wrath. Her sacrifice left the waters around the Southern Archipelagos calmer and easier to navigate, ensuring bountiful harvests of fish year after year.

To commemorate this noble and venerable saint, the residents of the Southern Archipelagos spontaneously began to sing the beautiful melodies that had once protected them from storms and waves and allowed them to commune with the sea on the anniversary of her death.

This formed the prototype of the Sea Rhythm Festival.

Today, after countless years of evolution, the triennial Sea Rhythm Festival had become the grandest festival in the Southern Archipelagos. Its customs had gradually shifted from simple singing into a wider, more accessible, and far more celebratory array of events.

These included, but were not limited to, the "Flower Boat Parade," the "Singer's Competition," and the "Night of Seeking Scales"—

The Lunar Tide Banquet was one of the most famous customs to emerge from this evolution.

On the day of the Sea Rhythm Festival, people would typically prepare a massive feast using ingredients sourced entirely from the sea, inviting friends and family to gather and share the meal.

Some smaller islands with exceptional economic strength would even host grand banquets large enough for the entire island's population to enjoy, all in celebration of the festival.

"In the outer archipelagos, the tradition of the Lunar Tide Banquet has also survived to this day, and its scale is even larger," Hera explained.

However, because the archipelagos harbored countless fugitives and criminals, this custom had merged with the local background, causing its nature to change among certain groups.

Every three years, the organizers would invite a large number of "big shots" with sufficient prestige and power on the seas to gather on an island selected in advance—though the exact location changed every time.

Using the festival as a pretext, they would exchange information, trade channels, and warm up their connections.

And Xia Nan's target, "Algae Scale" Dodd, was naturally one of the invitees.

Furthermore, in all these past years, he had never once missed it.

"In that case, as long as I can reach the location where this Lunar Tide Banquet is being held, I'm guaranteed to see Dodd?" Xia Nan asked to confirm, his heart stirring after hearing Hera's explanation.

"Of course!" A smile hung on the woman's lips as she tilted her head back to take another sip of ale. "Whether you decide to strike directly at the banquet or follow them back to their lair will depend entirely on your own abilities and choices."

"But from what you've said, this banquet Dodd attends must be strictly by invitation, right?" Xia Nan asked.

"Without an invitation, wouldn't it be impossible to even know the exact location?"

Sharply aware of the difficulty in this plan, Xia Nan subconsciously looked at the still-charming tavern owner sitting in front of him.

Seeing her expression, he knew that since she had brought it up, she definitely had a solution.

He said no more, shifting from active to passive, simply gazing at Hera as he waited for her to continue.

Sure enough, facing Xia Nan's calm gaze, Hera—who had once again tried to manipulate his emotions through the conversation—realized that her intentions had been seen through by the young adventurer.

She chuckled, shaking her head, and stopped keeping him in suspense.

Facing Xia Nan, she raised her right hand and held up her index and middle fingers, making a "V" gesture.

"There are two ways to participate in this Lunar Tide Banquet deep within the archipelagos," she said.

It seemed like an incredibly complex and highly exclusive affair.

But when summarized, it was actually quite simple.

The first method was to acquire enough prestige and fame within the Southern Archipelagos region, including Barracuda Bay.

The attendees were already a motley mix of fish and dragons, so it didn't matter whether one's fame came from being an adventurer or a pirate.

When your strength was great enough, when you possessed the value to forge relationships and open up channels, and when your exploits were famous enough to cross the vast seas and reach the ears of the banquet organizers...

You would naturally receive their invitation.

Simply put, one had to become a "prominent figure" in these waters.

As for exactly how much fame was required, Xia Nan had a rough estimate in mind after carefully questioning Hera.

It was probably similar to the level of renown "Greysword" held in Rivervale Town.

Not everyone had to personally recognize him, nor did those who had heard the name need to know what "Greysword" looked like or the specific deeds behind the title.

However, as long as someone was involved in the adventurer profession, had a habit of asking around for information in taverns, and wanted to become a "veteran" in the industry, they would definitely have heard someone mention the name.

For Xia Nan, gaining that kind of fame in the Southern Archipelagos wouldn't be terribly difficult, but it certainly wouldn't be easy either.

His rapid rise to fame back in Rivervale Town had been partly due to his outstanding performance and accumulation of merit during several joint commissions with other adventurers. It had also been partly because he had used people with some local reputation, like "Gap-Toothed," as stepping stones to achieve a qualitative leap and earn his moniker.

Achieving the same effect in Barracuda Bay would require a certain degree of planning.

And the planning itself required Xia Nan to have a thorough understanding of the local environment and its well-known figures.

This wasn't something that could be done overnight; it required time.

"As for the second method..."

Hera looked at the black-haired young man across the table with keen interest, a faint light flickering in her emerald eyes.

"Find someone qualified to attend the banquet and have them take you along."

Those capable of participating in the Lunar Tide Banquet were all highly renowned "big shots" in the local area. Whether for security reasons or simply for the sake of appearances, they almost never traveled alone.

Bringing a few subordinates along was perfectly normal.

To some extent, if someone really wanted to quickly qualify for the Lunar Tide Banquet without any foundational fame, this method could be considered a shortcut.

But at the same time, compared to the first plan, even though Xia Nan possessed a certain level of strength and was willing to pay a price to achieve his goal...

He was, after all, completely unfamiliar with the place and its people—an outsider who had only just arrived in Barracuda Bay.

He had no channels.

Today was his very first day in Barracuda Bay, and he could count the people he knew on one hand.

Mar from the Association could be ruled out immediately; this was a matter outside official business, and she was merely an ordinary person with neither the ability nor the obligation to participate.

Colin went without saying. And although Colin's uncle, Paddy, had operated in the area for years, judging from the destitute state of his grocery store that looked ready to collapse at any moment, it was obvious he didn't qualify to attend the banquet either.

Alton... he could ask him later.

And then there was...

As if realizing something, Xia Nan slightly arched his brow.

His pitch-black eyes turned toward Hera, who was sitting across from him with a smile on her lips.

"Oh? In that case... you can take me?" he asked.